(Your Company)
Fatigue Risk Management Programme
(Complete sections in italics)
Page 1
Foreword
The work priorities of Ag operations present pilots with unique hazards, challenges, and
constraints, some of which cannot be completely eliminated. For example, Ag pilots must
manoeuvre their aircraft at very low altitude over terrain and must therefore accept an
elevated risk of terrain and obstacle collisions, as well as having limited time to safely
respond to an aircraft mechanical anomaly or recover from an inadvertent aerodynamic
stall. Also, as a typically single-pilot operation, Ag flying places high demands on pilots’
attention. In addition to flying their aircraft, Ag pilots must operate their dispensing
equipment and adjust their swath runs (often while monitoring in-cockpit resources such as
GPS-aided precision aerial swathing equipment) to manage product drift and ensure quality
coverage. They also must monitor the outside environment for a variety of considerations,
such as weather phenomena (that can affect visibility or product drift), work area
boundaries, obstacles, and areas to be avoided due to populations, noise abatement,
livestock, or other safety considerations. Finally, seasonal work schedules, weather
conditions, the potential for crop damage if a job is not completed, competition for
contracts, and other factors can influence pilots’ or operators’ scheduling practices, creating
demanding work schedules that pressure pilots to complete work within a certain period of
time. These factors, separately or combined, can contribute to pilot fatigue and other
performance-degrading effects.
Ground crew necessarily have to be on the worksite at daylight and this often means they have
to arise very early and drive there in the dark. Their working environment is usually noisy and it
can be dusty and for some services the groundcrew will be exposed to hazardous substances. At
the conclusion of the job they may have to return a loader to base or reposition it at another
worksite. These factors, separately or combined, can contribute to ground crew fatigue and
other performance-degrading effects.
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Policy
In (our company) we are dedicated to the health and safety of our staff and ourselves. Our
objective is to have no serious harm accidents. We know that fatigue is a significant risk that
we have to manage if we are to achieve our goal. We recognise that fatigue is subjective and
is variable from one person to another so we have developed a Fatigue Risk Management
Programme (FRM) that recognises the differences in people’s tolerance to fatigue.
In some sectors, prescriptive rules are used to manage fatigue and an example of this is the
trucking industry. Whilst this can be a valuable tool, our company believes that the process
of fatigue assessment, by both management and the individual, is more effective at
estimating levels of fatigue because it will pick up on the variables of each individual’s
fatigue tolerance.
The principle that our FRM follows is that everyone is responsible to look after themselves
and everyone is responsible to look after their fellow workers. As a general rule we will
encourage staff to have at least one day off every week and two consecutive days off every
fortnight. A planned day off is not a day when you get up early and find the weather bad. A
day off is a day you know you are having off at least two days prior.
In line with our policy of continual improvement, (this company) will review the FRM
Programme at each staff meeting and make changes to its requirements when these are
indicated.
We require all staff to engage with the Fatigue Risk Management Programme and we have
required that as a condition in individual employment contracts.
Signed................................................................. CEO
Date................................................
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Fatigue Defined
Fatigue is extreme tiredness that can be felt both physically and mentally. It’s generally a
result of doing too much or not getting enough sleep. It can lead to reduced strength,
speed, reaction time, coordination, decision making, or balance. All these effects can be
dangerous in the workplace, both for the fatigued individual and to others.
Risk Factors
In respect of fatigue the known risk factors in Agricultural Aviation are, but may not be
limited to, the following:
 Uncertainty of appropriate weather conditions – the most suitable weather
conditions typically occur during the first few hours of daylight and management
expects that staff will be ready to work at day break.
 Hazards associated with the low-level environment. E.g. wind, sun, shade, wires,
obstacles
 Environmental hazards including heat, cold, vibration and noise
 Environmental hazards e.g. sensitive boundaries and/or neighbours
 Aircraft performance. An aircraft that is reluctant to get airborne or climb may
impose fatigue on its pilot
 Use of GPS Guidance may impose fatigue on the pilot
 Telephone time in the evenings can fatigue a pilot
 Compliance considerations and documentation has also been identified as a fatigue
risk
All or none of these may be present each day but their presence can contribute to fatigue.
The Process
Fatigue will be identified as a hazard in our hazard register and reference made to this FRM
as a means of mitigating that risk.
Personnel are required to record their duty hours and their flight or driving hours. These will
be recorded on a staff member specific page in an Excel spreadsheet that has been
programmed to provide running totals as follows:
a)
b)
c)
Flight or driving hours in last seven days
Duty time in last seven days
Flight or driving hours in last 30 days
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d)
Duty hours in last 30 days
In addition, rest periods that are taken during the day shall be recorded. These will normally
include breaks for meals and morning/afternoon teas. This requirement can be achieved by
recording the take off and landing times for each series of flights in accordance with the CAA
Ag dispensation for CAR Part 91.112.
Ground crew may elect to use a Driver’s Logbook to record their duty hours.
Personnel are required to carry out a self assessment every week. This assessment is to
include reflecting on the job requirements of the previous week, the relevant spreadsheet
page, quantity of alcohol consumed (if any), known effects of any medication being taken,
comments from other people, an honest appraisal of mistakes or errors made, not just at
work but in all aspects of life. The purpose of this self assessment is, am I fit to go to work?
Flight and Duty records shall be completed daily.
Management and staff in consultation shall agree on specific values that will not normally
be exceeded. It is important to note that those values are not listed here but are recorded
on the spreadsheet pages as it is likely that different staff will have different values.
It is important to understand that these values do not always assure an individual is not
suffering from fatigue but they have proved to be a satisfactory starting point.
When an individual reaches the agreed limit, or identifies fatigue following their weekly self
assessment, or if in the opinion of the individual’s spouse, co-worker or management, the
individual is showing signs of fatigue, that person is required to notify management and
carry out an assessment by answering the questions on the following page and then take
appropriate remedial actions when indicated.
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How fatigued am I?
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
How many days in a row have you worked without a day off?
5
6
7
8
9
What percentage of your usual quality sleep time have you had over last five days?
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
In the past five days have you been starting work before daylight by
1 hour
2 hours
3 hours
4 hours
5 hours
Outside of work how much exercise have you had over last 5 days?
5 hours
4 hours
3 hours
2 hours
1 hour
Evaluate how your performace is impaired by alcohol or drugs
No impairment
Slight
Medium
More then
Havily impaired
impairment
impairment
medium
Evaluate how relationship or family stressors have affected your fatigue
Slight to no
Slight effect
Medium effect
Significant
Bad effect
effect
effect
Evaluate your physical wellbeing
Well
Mostly well
Off colour
Feeling unwell
Really unwell
Evaluate your workload outside flying or loading duties. E.g. compliance documentation,
other paperwork, other job whether paid or not
Nil
Light
Average
More than
Heavy
average
Evaluate your fatigue level by recording the number of symptoms you are experiencing
from those listed on Page 7
1
2
3
4
Over 4
If you have answered more than two Level 3 answers or one or more Level 4 or 5 answers
what actions are you taking to mitigate the risk of fatigue? Consider:
 Starting late next day
 Having the next day off
 Having two days off
 Other
Signed.................................................... Date....................................
This assessment is to be kept on the individual’s personal file for a period of not less than 12 months.
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Our company management will rigorously enforce this process. All staff are required to
follow it.
Sleep
You can reduce your risk of fatigue by:

making sleep a priority; avoid cutting back on sleep in order to fit everything else in

improving the quality and quantity of your sleep; have a regular bed time routine,
make sure your bedroom is dark, cool and comfortable; get treatment for sleep
disorders

choose what you eat and drink carefully: eat light nutritious meals (heavy meals
make you drowsy); drink plenty of water; minimise your caffeine and alcohol intake

learn the warning signs of fatigue and to recognise them in yourself, so that you can
take a break or have a powernap.
Some of the main causes of inadequate sleep are:

poor quality sleep, which is caused by interruptions to the sleep cycle, ie waking
often

not enough sleep, which is caused by not getting to sleep, being awake for long
periods, sleeping only in 3-4 hour blocks, sleep disorders (especially sleep apnoea),
and ageing (older people sleep less)

not enough time to sleep, which is caused by extended working hours, irregular
working hours, having more than one job, family demands or study.
Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every 24 hours, preferably during the
hours of darkness. Pilots in particular often are required to be on the phone arranging work
in the evenings, often after sunset when farmers return to their homes. Combined with
early starts this creates considerable risk for pilots that can be mitigated by power naps
Sleep debt builds up when someone regularly has less sleep than they need, and sleep debt
leads to fatigue.
Assessing Fatigue
In order for staff to assess the fatigue level in themselves and in each other the company
offers the following advice.
The signs and symptoms of fatigue include:

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tiredness,
unusual inaccuracy with figures
sleepiness, including falling asleep against your will ("micro" sleeps),
irritability,
depression,
giddiness,
loss of appetite,
digestive problems, and
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
increased susceptibility to illness.
The effects of Fatigue are:

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



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

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reduced decision making ability,
reduced ability to do complex planning,
reduced communication skills,
reduced productivity / performance,
reduced attention and vigilance,
reduced ability to handle stress on the job,
reduced reaction time - both in speed and thought,
loss of memory or the ability to recall details,
failure to respond to changes in surroundings or information provided,
unable to stay awake (e.g., falling asleep while operating machinery or driving a
vehicle),
increased tendency for risk-taking,
increased forgetfulness,
increased errors in judgement,
increased sick time, absenteeism, rate of turnover,
increased medical costs, and
increased accident rates.
I have read and understood the FMR Programme and agree to comply with it.
Name.........................................................................................
Signed.................................................................................Dated..........................................
Each Employee to Sign. This page is to be kept on the employee’s personal file for the term of their employment
Page 8